It's just a crappy feeling that I am sure a lot of us can relate to at some point. It's why I believe gift giving should be done because the giver wants to and enjoys making others feel good. Not because they feel obligated and then resentful of what they view as a burden. A lot of times people also seem to value gifting to the younger crowd as more important, I tend to be a little opposite of that.

I feel that young children do not need to be showered with gifts and come to believe that gifts are equal with love so they come to expect and demand presents constantly. That doesn't mean you shouldn't give to younger kids but I think as a whole we put far too much emphasis on getting a 8 year old everything she wants because it will destroy their fragile innocent minds if we don't.

I'd rather spend more money on an adult who I know would appreciate the gift versus buying a hoard of trinkets for a small child that won't remember who gave them what by the next day.

exactly, they just buy the cheapest thing they think you will like. its just like they have a bias of "oh they are young and cute i must get the best things for them" and once you get to my age (21) your just lumped as the rest of the adults. its like they don't even try.

i think the same thing i was lucky that did not get that rain of pricey presents when i was young. i learned to just get it myself there is no point in hoping id get it as a gift. i don't ask for much anyway. one of my youngest cousins is getting spoiled even more than the two older cousins it shows even when when i don't pay attention.

i wish one of my uncles was still alive because he liked allot of the things i like and he and i could have given each-other great gifts. my cousins are good kids though even though they are just becoming teenagers they don't need half the things they get. their mother got them the best xbox 360 and they play sports allot so they would not use it much. and my youngest cousin complained about the experiences gifts his parents got for him.

The present I got from my boyfriend was the best this year: a tiny plushie narwhal! Baaaaawwww it's so cute and small and cuddly~

Actually, more than getting amazing gifts (which I did, don't get me wrong), I had the ultimate pleasure of watching my gift exchange recipient open my spectacular gift to them. Six bars of chocolate comprising Theos* Chocolate's Fantasy Collection, eight hand-chosen truffles/caramels from their confections case, and two pieces of their dark chocolate bark with dried Valrona orange and cranberries. And two bottles of chocolate stout and a bottle of Godiva chocolate liquor.

My older cousin got my gift, he was most pleased with it~

* Theos Chocolate is a local chocolate factory (so they import beans and make their own chocolate, as opposed to buying chocolate and putting things in it) that produces only organic and fair trade chocolate. They have ridiculous, amazing flavors, like coconut curry and chai tea and porcini mushroom and balsamic and pear.